A/N:
Hey all! Sorry it's been a while since I posted. Let's just say I've been extremely busy. Hopefully things are slowing down, but you never know. I know I haven't updated Of Flames and Fury for a while, so that's my next task. Hopefully I'll have something on that one very soon. Thanks for your patience there.
I've enjoyed reading all of the good fics from other writers here lately, filtering through the junk and ignoring it. Thanks to those who are sticking through the troubles and continuing to post great content. Hopefully you enjoy this one.
The base idea for this one came from GBThundaII. I tweaked their storyline slightly, but thanks for the help!
Hope you all enjoy this one! It's a little longer, as I've left you without chapters for a little bit.
Until next time, enjoy Mischief Managed
"Ryder, sir, I've had enough," Chase huffed exasperatedly to the team leader as he plopped himself on the soft bench. The shepherd pup was tasked with another mission in Barkingburg that had just ended, and he was once again fed up with the antics of the Princess' pup. "When will she ever leave well enough alone?"
Ryder knelt down and pat his shepherd pup softly on the head. They had just entered the AIR Patroller and were on their way home from the palace. Chase sighed and closed his eyes, exhausted; his tired mind wandered back to the events of the past couple days.
Chase was called into action to guard the precious Ruby of Barkingburg, an ancient gem passed down through many generations of royalty. The princess was to be gifted ownership of the ruby on her birthday in front of a large crowd of onlookers, and Chase was present to prevent any mischief.
The first few days went by without much trouble; Sweetie was on her best behavior, hanging with the Princess and other members of Barkingburg royalty during side parties and events. Chase had very little to do and actually could enjoy himself for a few days. The only trouble he ran into was some teasing and petty tricks from Sweetie. The people of Barkingburg took a liking to the police pup, and Chase enjoyed the attention. However, the calm would not last.
On the day of the Ruby ceremony, Chase prepared himself in his Mission Paw tuxedo, partly for the occasion and partly for the protection of the gem. The princess was nervous and was hoping for no issues. Sweetie, though, had other ideas. She managed to slip away and cause a commotion near the back of the great hall. The Earl of Barkingburg and the Princess dashed to the back of the room to see what the matter was; Sweetie, meanwhile, snuck up to the platform and tried to grab the ruby using the claw arm in her black pup pack. This time, though, Chase was ready. He managed to trap the white pup in his net and apprehend her before she could steal the gem. She glared at Chase as the Princess placed her in her dog house prison, sneering, "Why do you always have to ruin the fun? You're so boring."
Chase blinked open his eyes. He looked up, then laid his head down once again on the soft benches in the Air Patroller and sighed. He'd finally grown tired of Sweetie's tricks and trouble. From getting trapped in an underground dungeon to chasing the princess' pup across the land to recover the stolen throne, Chase was weary of Barkingburg and its residents. Even in the down time, Sweetie never showed any interest in talking to the shepherd pup, always retreating to her room in the castle. Chase would try to engage her in conversation, but she would turn and ignore him with a huff.
"Ryder, sir," Chase addressed the PAW Patrol's leader. "I think I'm done here. I never want to return to Barkingburg. I'm tired of all the craziness. It puts me out of commission for rescues in Adventure Bay. And I'm always lonely there."
Ryder looked at his pup quizzically. Chase was never one to abandon a mission. In fact, he would work himself to the brink of exhaustion before asking to sit out.
"Chase, are you sure?" Ryder asked the shepherd pup, concerned. Chase looked at the ground and then back up at his leader with sadness and fatigue showing on his face.
"Yes, sir, Ryder, sir," Chase answered solemnly. "I know when I took the PAW Patrol oath upon graduation from the pup academy, I promised to fulfill all my duties to the best of my abilities whenever called on. But I can't do this anymore. I need a break."
Ryder stood up from his seat at the front of the plane and walked to the back, sitting down next to his pup. Chase laid his head on Ryder's lap and closed his eyes, hiding a tear as it fell from his eye. Ryder couldn't help but feel sorry for his number one pup. The princess did task him with many grueling nights. Whenever she needed help, she always called on Chase. He may be her favorite pup, but she did little to show her appreciation for the shepherd's assistance.
"I tell you what, Chase," Ryder spoke softly. "The next time the Princess needs help, we'll figure something else out."
Chase looked up at Ryder as his tail began to wag slowly. He licked Ryder on the face before laying back down to complete the journey home.
After a good couple day's rest, Chase and the rest of the pups were enjoying some play time in the front yard of the lookout. The PAW Patrol was not needed on rescues for the past few days, allowing the pups some valuable R&R. Chase was refreshed and rejuvenated and was lazily lounging on the hill under the warm Adventure Bay sun. He was hoping again for no missions that day. Marshall and Rocky were finishing a game of tug-of-war, while Zuma and Skye were practicing backflips on the trampoline. They were having a great time until they heard Ryder call to them through their pup tags.
"PAW Patrol, to the lookout!"
"Ryder needs us!"
The pups dashed back to the headquarters and into the elevator, where they were all spilled by Marshall as he crashed into them.
"Dog pile!" he called out, causing every pup to laugh. The elevator ascended rapidly towards the control room high atop the lookout. The team jumped out, with Chase leading the way, though they were not dressed in mission gear. They lined up in attention and the shepherd pup addressed the leader with his usual phrase with a foot stomp for emphasis:
"PAW Patrol, Ready for action, Ryder, sir!"
All of the pups looked on intently, waiting for Ryder's instructions.
"Pups, the Princess of Barkingburg has called upon us for some assistance," Ryder started. Chase closed his eyes and sighed, both relieved he wouldn't be called on this mission and ashamed he wouldn't be upholding his duties. He opened his eyes and glanced up as Ryder continued.
"The castle of Barkingburg will be celebrating its 500th anniversary this week. Numerous artifacts and relics from the royal family will be on display for all of the citizens of Barkingburg and visitors to see. The princess requested one of our pups come to help guard the relics and also greet the visitors to the castle."
All of the pups looked over at Chase, thinking he'd be called for the mission. Chase smiled nervously, pawing the floor in front of him.
"For this special mission, I need," Ryder said, looking down at his pup pad and swiping the screen until he came upon the pup he wanted. "Marshall!"
The Dalmatian pup looked up at Ryder with a confused and worried look on his face. The rest of the pups glanced back and forth, confused as to why Marshall was called for the mission.
"Me?" Marshall asked, perplexed.
"Yes, Marshall, I need you to pack your things and get ready for a journey to Barkingburg. I'll explain more on the Air Patroller," Ryder answered.
"But, but, but, but, but, but…" Marshall stammered, unable to find words.
"Marshall, the city of Barkingburg needs you," Ryder assured his pup.
"But, but, but…why not Chase?" Marshall wondered aloud.
Ryder looked over at Chase, who nodded, giving him permission to explain to the rest of the pups. "Marshall, Chase requested a break from missions in Barkingburg. He's been overworked and needs time to recuperate. I trust you and know you will do great," Ryder clarified to his team.
Marshall gulped, but then stood up straight and addressed his leader, "I'll do my best! I'm fired up!"
"Great!" Ryder answered. "I'll meet you in the PAW Patroller in an hour. Go get your stuff ready. PAW Patrol is on a roll!"
The pups all exited the control room. As they got to the bottom of the elevator, Chase followed Marshall to his pup house to help him prepare for his trip to Barkingburg.
"Marshall, do you think you're ready to do this?" Chase asked his best friend.
Marshall sighed and looked at Chase seriously. "I don't know, Chase," Marshall started. "I've never been tasked with such an important mission before."
Chase patted his buddy on the back and reassured him. "You'll do great, Marshall," he said. "But I will warn you about that mischievous Sweetie. Make sure you always watch your back."
Marshall looked at Chase with worry in his eyes. "Don't fret, Marshall," Chase said. "I'm sure you'll be able to handle everything. Just don't expect the princess to talk to you much. She never paid much attention to me, even though I'm her favorite pup."
Marshall and Chase continued to pack for the fire pup's trip to Barkingburg. Marshall threw in his favorite teddy, some snacks, and his EMT gear just in case. As soon as they finished, Marshall heard Ryder's voice through his pup tag.
"Marshall, I'm ready for you in the Air Patroller," Ryder called out to him.
"Good luck, buddy," Chase wished Marshall as he ambled over to the air plane.
"Thanks, Chase," Marshall answered. They paw bumped before Marshall tripped over his suitcase and flipped into the plane.
"Heh, some things never change," Chase whispered quietly to himself. Marshall waved farewell to Chase and the rest of the pups as the door to the Air Patroller slowly closed.
A few hours into the long flight to Barkingburg, Marshall was stirred from his nap to a soft tap on his shoulder.
"Marshall, wake up," Ryder calmly spoke to his Dalmatian pup. They were still a couple hours from landing, but Ryder needed to brief Marshall on the mission ahead.
"Alright, Marshall," Ryder began, "your duties are twofold. First, you will keep an eye on the artifacts and historical items on display in the Castle of Barkingburg. Those items are quite valuable and irreplaceable; someone may be out to steal them."
"Or some pup…" Marshall thought to himself.
"Second, you are an ambassador for the PAW Patrol. We have quite a following around the world, so I'm sure you will garner a lot of attention," Ryder continued. "Feel free to interact with the guests, but don't forget about your main duty."
Marshall perked up at the mention of interaction with the townsfolk. Yes, he was sometimes a clumsy pup, but he loved attention from anyone and everyone.
"Yes sir, Ryder. I'll do my best!" Marshall exclaimed excitedly.
"Great! Now, we'll be arriving in a few hours. You can rest for a while longer if you'd like," Ryder responded to his Dalmatian pup. Marshall looked over at Ryder. He was too nervous and excited to sleep anymore; the biggest mission of his career was ahead of him. The rest of the flight went very smoothly. Robodog set the Air Patroller gently on it's landing pad in the River Canide that runs through Barkingburg. The Air Patroller descended to it's parking spot beneath the city streets. As the door slowly opened, Marshall and Ryder walked down the exit ramp into Mission PAW headquarters.
Marshall quickly changed into his new Mission Paw tuxedo; it was mostly black with a red vest and bowtie; the fire pup admired himself in the glass door of the headquarters before joining Ryder on the floor of the control room.
"Alright, Marshall," Ryder began, "Wow, that tuxedo looks great! Anyways, we'll be making our way to the castle in a few minutes. You're bow tie has a secret camera that will record anything that happens during the next few days. Once we meet with the Princess, Robodog and myself will be on our way back to Adventure Bay."
Marshall gulped, his nerves kicking in even more.
"Are you ready, pup?" Ryder asked calmly, petting Marshall on the head.
"I think so," Marshall answered timidly.
"Marshall, I know you'll do great. That's why I chose you," Ryder replied, working hard to ease Marshall's apprehension.
"Thanks, Ryder," Marshall said. "I'm ready now."
The pair made their way through the growing crowds to the Castle of Barkingburg. Inside, the displays were being finalized. Ryder and Marshall found the Earl, who called them over.
"Ryder, Marshall! Welcome!" the Earl exclaimed excitedly.
"Thank you, your Earlness," Ryder responded. "Marshall is reporting for duty!"
Marshall gulped again, nerves once again coursing through his spotted body. The Earl knelt down and pat Marshall on the head. He was about to say something when he heard someone call from down the hall.
"Hello, Ryder!" the princess called, scurrying over towards the group. "Hello, Ch…wait, that's not Chase."
"Hello, Princess," Ryder answered. "Chase needed a break, so Marshall here is ready to help."
"Oh, well, hello, Marshall," the princess responded without much enthusiasm.
"Hi Princess," Marshall said excitedly, his tail beginning to wag. "I'm ready for duty!"
"Very well," she replied with a sigh. "Earl, take Marshall and get him prepared for the events of the week." The princess turned away and left without any more words.
"That was strange…" the fire pup thought to himself. He said his goodbyes to Ryder and followed the Earl to get ready. Little did he know; the princess' pup Sweetie was watching him from behind a display.
"Look, Busbee! A different pup this time! We must have scared off that Chase. I was getting tired of him anyways!" Sweetie quietly said to her mechanized chew toy. "And look at him…" she thought to herself. She quickly scurried away as some citizens of Barkingburg approached the display.
The first day in Barkingburg was uneventful for Marshall. He met some of the citizens, took pictures with young kids who were big fans of the PAW Patrol, and genuinely enjoyed himself. He made sure to keep an eye on Sweetie, who seemed to be plotting something. He noticed her staring at him numerous times throughout the day, seemingly focused solely on the Dalmatian pup. Small movements and noises startled her from her trance, though Marshall was concerned about her motives. As the day turned to evening, Marshall found himself inside the dining hall with the Earl, the Princess, and Sweetie.
"Did you have a good day, Marshall?" the earl asked the Dalmatian pup.
"Yes, Mr. Earl, sir, it was a great day!" Marshall exclaimed excitedly. He looked over at the princess, who was unenthusiastically eating her food. Sweetie, on the other hand, smiled over at Marshall before turning away and laughing to herself.
"I wonder what she's planning?" Marshall thought to himself. The meal continued with little chatter, before everyone headed off to bed.
"Come on, Sweetie," the princess called to her pup. "Bed time."
Sweetie jumped off her chair and snickered as she brushed past Marshall. The fire pup must have looked extremely confused, as the Earl asked him if everything was alright.
"Yes, your Earlness," Marshall answered, before he too made his way to his temporary sleeping quarters.
The next morning, Marshall dressed himself and prepared for his second day in Barkingburg. He slipped into his freshly pressed tuxedo, "the castle must have magic laundry persons…" he thought to himself with a chuckle. The Dalmatian trotted down the stairs and entered the great hall, where citizens were just beginning to trickle in that morning.
As the day progressed, Marshall found himself settling into his temporary role. "I can't believe Chase thinks this is so bad…" he thought. But suddenly, his daydream was broken by the loud sound of an alarm across the room. Marshall dashed to the display and came upon a broken case. He looked over and saw a white pup dashing out of the room. "Look at her…" he thought to himself, shaking his head to regain his composure. He noticed a few coins missing from the display, but not much else. The Earl rushed over towards Marshall and bent over, hands on his knees and huffing and puffing.
"Marshall…did you see…who it was?" the Earl asked between deep breaths.
"Earl, I saw Sweetie run that way right after it happened," Marshall informed the Earl. The Earl looked into the case and realized only a few non-valuable coins were missing.
"The good news is the only coins missing are basic ones, only on display as a tribute to past leaders of Barkingburg," the Earl told Marshall.
Marshall nodded before replying, "I'm going to take a quick look down that hallway. I'll be right back." He dashed down the hall, sniffing the air for any scent of the perpetrator. From behind a painting, Sweeting watched the fire pup work. She watched as he analyzed the scene, trying his best to catch any whiff of the pup. He became slightly frustrated when he couldn't find anything, and Sweetie had to suppress a giggle. She stared after him as he ambled out of the room.
"Sorry, your Earlness, but I didn't find anything," Marshall told the Earl sadly.
"That's OK, Marshall," he replied. "We'll figure it out." The rest of the day went smoothly, though Marshall kept an eye out for the white terrier pup. "I know it was her…" he continued to think to himself.
That night at dinner, Marshall watched Sweetie's every move. She was much more reserved this night, not giggling or staring like the night before. Marshall, however, was fixated on the princess' pup.
"What's the matter, Marshall?" the princess asked, showing slight concern for the Dalmatian.
"Huh, oh, nothing," Marshall replied, his trance having been broken. "Wow…" he thought to himself. Pretty soon, they all excused themselves from the table and made their way to their sleeping quarters. Marshall and Sweetie shared a glance between each other and their gazes met. Sweetie broke into a sinister-looking smile and turned away, giggling. Marshall blushed, confused by Sweetie's antics.
"See you tomorrow, Marshall," Sweetie taunted, flipping her hair as she turned, before leaving the mess hall.
Marshall yawned and stretched, ready for his final day of duty in Barkingburg. He hopped out of bed and dressed himself in his tuxedo. Today was a special day in the castle; the Princess would be meeting the people of Barkingburg to celebrate the quincentennial and would be commemorating the event with a surprise. Marshall would be guarding the stage and watching out for any mischief. He was given special sunglasses designed by Ryder specifically for Mission PAW that were both heat detection glasses and night vision glasses. He took a moment to admire himself in the mirror, liking the look of the sunglasses along with his spots and tuxedo.
"Hey handsome…heh, I do look pretty good…" he joked to himself. He checked once more to make sure everything was perfect before he left his room to head downstairs. He concentrated hard to make sure he didn't trip, but instead ran into the Earl near the bottom of the steps.
"Good morning, your Earlness," Marshall greeted the Earl with a smile, though that quickly faded when he saw the frantic look on the Earl's face. "What's wrong?"
The Earl glanced up the stairs. "The Princess' tiara is missing," the Earl responded. "She's supposed to wear it for the big event today. If we don't find it, the ceremony will be ruined!"
Marshall gasped; up until now his stay in Barkingburg had been pretty simple. "Who do you think took it?" Marshall asked the Earl, though he already had a sneaking suspicion.
The Earl sighed. "We don't know, Marshall," he answered. "It was locked in one of the display cases in the great hall, though the alarm was deactivated."
"Do you have any video footage?" the fire pup wondered.
The Earl chuckled. "In this old castle, of course not."
"Damn," Marshall uttered. "Oops, sorry your Earlness."
"It's OK pup. We're all frustrated."
Marshall was about to respond when the Princess came rushing into the hallway.
"Earl, Marshall, have you seen Sweetie?" the Princess asked worriedly.
The Earl and the Dalmatian glanced at each other, coming to the same conclusion. The princess looked at the two, confused.
"What's the matter, both of you?" she asked.
"Your highness, the tiara we planned for you to wear at the ceremony this afternoon is missing, too," the Earl replied.
"Oh no! Do you think the same person who took my tiara also took my precious pooch?" the Princess cried. "I think I might faint."
The earl and Marshall rushed to her side. "Don't worry, Princess! I will find your tiara and your pup," Marshall said bravely.
"Oh, I hope you do. Otherwise, I may never smile again," the princess responded melodramatically.
"Such a diva…" the fire pup thought to himself.
"Hurry back, Marshall, we need you in place for the ceremony," the Earl curtly reminded the Dally. Marshall scurried off up the north tower of the castle. Using the heat detection function, he was looking for any unusual objects. Unbeknownst to the fire pup, Sweetie was watching him from a secret hole in the wall.
"Look at him work, Busbee," she whispered to her chew toy. "And pretty soon he'll be successful on this mission…"
Marshall quickly worked his way up the winding staircase and out the door of the castle's high north lookout. He glanced around, looking for anything out of place. Suddenly, a glint of shiny metal caught his eye. "Aha!" he thought to himself as he dashed over to the object. He silently fist pumped when he realized it was the Princess' tiara for the ceremony. He grabbed it gently in his mouth and took off down the stairs, searching for the Earl and the princess.
"Marshall, splendid! You found the tiara!" the Earl excitedly exclaimed.
"But not my pup…" the princess huffed sadly.
"Sorry, Princess. I'm sure we'll find her soon," Marshall answered.
"No time to waste. We need to prepare for the ceremony!" the Earl said, rushing Marshall and the princess off to the great hall.
The ceremony went off without a hitch; though the princess was sad her pup was missing it, she was able to put on a smiling face and entertain the horde of onlookers. As the citizens filed out of the great hall, another alarm sounded from across the room. Marshall turned and caught a glimpse of white fur rushing down a hallway. He dashed through the great hall, weaving through confused citizens, trying his best to catch up to the elusive pup. He could see her in front of him, trying her best to lose the chasing fire pup and anyone else tailing her. Suddenly, she changed directions and disappeared into a doorway. Marshall screeched to a halt and looked through the opening. He smiled when he saw that Sweetie had made a poor decision.
"Looks like you're stuck now, Sweetie," Marshall taunted the white terrier. If he wasn't mistaken, he could have sworn he saw her blush, though he attributed it to the effects of the chase.
"Drat, you caught me," Sweetie pined sarcastically.
Marshall slowly approached the terrier pup. He took off his sunglasses and looked her in the eyes. "Why are you doing this, Sweetie?" he asked genuinely.
"Doing what?" the terrier responded.
Marshall walked closer to Sweetie. "Why are you always causing mischief?" He stopped right next to the white pup, never breaking eye contact with her. Sweetie stood up and stepped even closer to the fire pup. Marshall could feel his cheeks turning warm, nervous in the presence of the princess' pup. He blinked a couple times, still not daring to break his glare. Sweetie looked him square in the eyes. Marshall swore he saw a small smile at the corner of her mouth. He blinked once, only for a second, and suddenly felt Sweetie's lips pressed against his own.
Shocked, it took him a moment to realize what was happening, but then he relaxed, grabbing Sweetie and pulling her closer, allowing her tongue to enter his mouth. They stayed like that for what seemed like ages, neither one wanting to let go. But eventually they needed air. They backed away, both gasping for oxygen. Marshall looked deep into Sweetie's eyes and smiled.
"Did you really think I'd make all of those silly mistakes?" Sweetie asked Marshall. He stopped and thought for a moment, "I guess she did make it easy on me…"
"I wanted to watch you work," Sweetie continued. "You're sleek and sculpted body was irresistible in that tuxedo. I just needed to get you alone, and the crowds weren't helping."
Marshall smiled, his cheeks turning as red as his fire truck. "But why me?" Marshall asked. "You could have had Chase."
"Phht, that pup?" Sweetie chuckled. "He's too uptight, always serious, and never has fun. I thought you were going to be the same and I was going to put you through the ringer. But when I realized you were different, I fell, quickly."
Marshall smiled again. "I guess I felt something, too," Marshall replied. "Chase warned me about you, but he was wrong. You're a special pup. Funny, daring, and extremely smart. But, I need to make sure I'm right."
Sweetie looked at him, confused. "How?"
Marshall smiled. "Like this." He pulled her in again, pressing his lips against hers. Their tongues danced in each other's mouth and neither one dared to end the embrace. The Earl and the princess finally made it to the room and gasped when they saw the two pups. They quietly exited the room, and the Princess made a quick call to Ryder.
"Hello, Ryder here," the PAW Patrol team leader answered.
"Hello, Ryder. I think Marshall may have to stay here a little while longer," the princess said, trying to suppress her laughter.
"Oh, is something wrong?" Ryder replied. The Princess turned around and walked back towards the room and showed Ryder the two pups, still locked in warm embrace.
"Ah, I see," Ryder smiled. "Mischief always manages to find itself in Barkingburg."
The princess snorted, unable to contain her laughter any longer. The two pups were startled from their kiss and looked at the princess, embarrassed.
"Umm…" Sweetie stammered.
"Heh," Marshall meekly uttered.
"This is the best day ever!" the princess exclaimed. "Marshall, you can stay as long as you want."
Marshall looked over at the princess, then back at Sweetie and smiled. "I'm fired up!"
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that one! It was fun to write. Be on the lookout for updates to Of Flames and Fury, and possibly another short story on my one-shot page.
To those of you who made it this far - thank you. Please keep up the readership of mine and the other dedicated authors on this fandom. There are great stories if you filter through all the junk. It's frustrating, but it's those great authors out there who keep me motivated and coming back.
Until next time,
-Zomatic-